Whitcoulls, a chain that has 56 stores across New Zealand, announced on Wednesday, March 20 that it would no longer sell copies of the controversial Canadian author Jordan Peterson’s bestselling self-help book, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos. The company is tying the decision directly to the terrorist attack at two Christchurch mosques that left at least 50 people dead and dozens injured. The move is one in a series aimed at curbing racist hate speech following the attack, led by the country’s progressive prime minister, 38-year-old Jacinda Ardern.

“Unfortunately 12 Rules for Life is currently unavailable, which is a decision that Whitcoulls has made in light of some extremely disturbing material being circulated prior, during and after the Christchurch attacks,” the company reportedly wrote in an email to customers. “As a business which takes our responsibilities to our communities seriously, we believe it would be wrong to support the author at this time.”

Though Whitcoulls did not elaborate further, there has been some online speculation as to the source of the bookstore’s decision. Shortly after the attack in Christchurch, Twitter user Dan Taipua noted that during Peterson’s New Zealand book tour in February, the author posed for a photograph with a fan wearing a shirt that read, “I’m a proud Islamaphobe [sic].” The photo was taken nearly one month before the attack.

Though Whitcoulls appears to have pulled 12 Rules for reasons outside of the book’s content, the move makes a strong statement. The generally outspoken Peterson, as of publication time, has yet to make a statement on the bookstore’s decision.

Kat has been a writer, social media maven and mom for longer than she's willing to admit. She's also spent time in front of and behind the camera, interviewing celebs, politicians and acting as a producer for fashion and artistic photography shoots.
When she isn't writing for various orgs and publications, she's hanging with her kids, husband and French Bulldog, Peter, in Toronto, Canada.